By Anita Dangazele
- ANC coalition votes to keep deputy mayor Gary Van Niekerk despite fraud charges over R551,000 of council money.
- Van Niekerk is accused of using council resources to fight his private legal battles.
Nelson Mandela Bay’s suspended deputy mayor, Gary van Niekerk, will keep his job after the ANC coalition voted to protect him despite fraud charges.
Van Niekerk was suspended on 14 December after being charged with fraud for allegedly using R551,000 of council money to pay his personal legal bills.
That morning, the Hawks took him to the Gqeberha Commercial Crimes Court, where he faced two fraud charges and two charges of breaking financial laws.
He is accused of using council letterheads to get lawyers to fight his private court cases using public money.
Van Niekerk’s party, the National Alliance, only has three council seats, but he has managed to get two top jobs – first as speaker and then as deputy mayor – since the 2021 elections.
Now he has convinced the ANC to keep him as deputy despite the charges.
At Thursday’s meeting, DA councillor Morné Steyn tried to get Van Niekerk kicked out.
“I believe he is not a fit and proper person to hold the position of deputy mayor,” Steyn said. “I believe he is not even fit to be a councillor, but we can’t remove him, and as such, I propose we remove him as deputy mayor and elect a new deputy mayor.”
ANC speaker Eugene Johnson tried to block the vote, but the DA’s Rano Kayser said this was against the law.
“What you are doing is in total contravention of the law. The motion must be entertained. Council does not have the discretion to decide whether to entertain it or not.”
The ANC coalition’s 60 councillors voted to keep Van Niekerk, while 50 opposition councillors wanted him out.
Van Niekerk, who is out on warning, will be back in court on 21 February.
The ACDP’s Lance Grootboom, who opened the case against Van Niekerk, now says his suspension was wrong.
“Gary was wrongly removed at the last council meeting. You cannot remove a deputy mayor without prior notice in terms of the law,” he said.
“The ANC removed him without a motion, and the DA supported that he be relieved of his duties. This is all wrong. Today and at the last meeting, there was a motion to remove him, and they should have used the motion.”
Grootboom said Van Niekerk should sue the municipality.
Pictured above: Suspended Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor Gary Van Niekerk.
Source: Anita Dangazele
